Fish dressing machine



4 March 2, 1948.

P. DANIELSSON FISH DRESSING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Pau/ flan/e/sson,

March '2, 1948. P. DANIELSSON 2,437,031

FISH DRESSING MACHINE Filed July 10, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 2, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE FISH DRESSING MACHINE I Paul Danielsson, Stora Essingen, Sweden, assignor to Arcnco Aktiebolag, Stockholm, Sweden,

a joint-stock company of Sweden Application July 10, 1944, Serial No. 544,204 In Sweden July 13, 1943 1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to improvements in fish dressing machines and more particularly to means for adjusting the fish longitudinally into correct positions relative to means for dressing the fish, such as decapitating or eviscerating means. Such adjustment has hitherto been effected by mechanical or hydraulic driving means, such as a movable brush or a jet of water acting on the fish. Such means are, however, affected with certain drawbacks. The brush will be coated with slimy impurities so that it will rapidly be ineffective, and the use of a jet of water requires the arrangement of a pump and a supply of water.

It is an object of the invention to obviate these drawbacks-by the provision of simple and efiicient means acting transverselyon the body of the fish to obtain the desired displacement. Another object of the invention consists in the provision of simple and efficient meansto effect the desired displacement by utilizing the characteristic shape of fish. Still another object of ,the invention consists in the provision of very simple immovable means coacting with the ordinary fish feeding means to effect the desired displacement.

With these and other objects in view, as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangements of parts, as will be hereinafter described and particularly set forth in the claims hereunto appended.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are a plan view and an elevational side View; respectively, of the fish dressing machine embodying the invention;

Figs. 3 and 4 are elevational sectional views on the lines III-III and IVIV, respectively, of Fig. 1;

Figs. 5 and 6 are a plan and a side view, respectively, on an enlarged scale of a constructional feature of the machine; and

Figs. 7 and 8 are a plan view and an end view, respectively, on an enlarged scale, of another constructional feature of the machine.

Referring to the drawings, the machine has a fish conveyor I consisting of a pair of endless chains I2 and transverse impellers II connected to the chains. The chains I2 run over a driving sprocket 2 and an idle sprocket 3. The sprocket 2 is secured to a shaft 5-which is rotatably journalled in the machine frame 4 and is driven by means of a bevel gear 6 driven by a shaft I. The fish are by the impellers II fed transversely upon a table Ill. A gauge plate I3 and a circular cutter I4 are positioned at one side of the conveyor I. The gauge plate I3 is adjustable transversely to the conveyor I and the cutter I4 is secured to a rotary shaft I5. The shaft I5 is by means of a bevel gear I6 driven by the shaft 1. Sequently to the cutter I4 and at the same side of the conveyor I are mounted two eviscerating rollers I1 and I8. The lower roller I8 is driven by the shaft 1 by means of a bevel gear I9, a shaft 20, and an-' other bevel gear 2|. The upper roller I1 is driven by the lower roller I8 by means of a crossed rope 22, so that both the rollers rotate continuously and at the same peripheral velocities but in opposite directions, as indicated by arrows in Fig. 3.

Opposite to the roller I1 and above the conveyor I a press wheel 23 is secured to a rotary shaft 26 journalled in a hub 24 of an arm 25. The

arm 25 is looselyjournalled on the shaft I5 and provided with a downwardly projecting rear extension 21 which by a tension spring 28 is con-' 5 wheel 23 is provided with a plurality of circumferential pressheads 30 the pressing surfaces of which are spherical, fiat or consist of cylindrical segments. The press power of the heads 30 upon the body of the fish can be increased or decreased by adjustment of nuts 32 and 33 to vary the tension of the springs 28 and 29.

Above the conveyor impellers II a plurality of upwardly yielding bars 40 extend longitudinally of the conveyor I. As shown to the right in Fig. 1, four yielding bars 4|] are positioned so that they have a successive relative displacement transversely as well as longitudinally of the conveyor I. Sequently to the four staggered bars 40 when viewed in the fish feeding direction the cutter I4 projects into a groove 43 (Fig. 5) of still another similar bar 40. To the conveyor table I0 is secured an obliquely positioned plate 44 (Figs. '7 and 8) which has longitudinal ridges 45 in its upper face. Above the plate 44 still another pair of similar upwardly yielding bars 40 are mounted on the beam 4| and directed longitudinally of the conveyor I so that they will press the advancing fish against the plate 44. The impellers II of the conveyor I can freely pass through the interspace between the plate 44 and the bars 40 positioned above same. Above the conveyor I; closely in front of the press wheel 23, still another similar upwardly yielding bar 4'9 is secured to the beam 4!. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, each bar 40 is connected to a blade spring I I v duced into the inter-space between the table it and the four staggered plates 40 which will exert yielding pressure upon the fish so that the fish due to their tapered shapes will slide on the table II] in their longitudinal directions, viz,

transversely of the conveyor l against the gauge plate I3. The rearmost bar 41] (the uppermost one in Fig. 1) will press against the tapering rear portion of a big fish and the next bar 49 will press against a tapering portion of the same fish somewhat nearer itshead end or against a portionof a smaller fish nearer the tail end of the latter, and so, on. By this pressing action upontheir tapering bodies the fish will rapidly slide longitudinally againstthe gauge plate 53 simultaneously as it, is, fed transversely by the conveyor I. The displacement of the fish against the gauge plate !3 will even, take place so effectively that particularly soft fish might be bent somewhat whenv their heads, abut the gauge plate I3. Such, fish are, however, straightened when they are fed beneath the bar 4% positioned at the cutter M as said bar will depress the fish on displacing their tail ends slightly rearwardly immediately before the fish are decapitated by the cutter l4, The fish thus, having been decapitated is by the conveyor 8 fed further transversely into operative. position relative to the eviscerating rollers H and 18, which pull the viscera out of the cut head end of the fish. To enable the rollers Hand 13 to catch the viscera, partthereof is by the heads 30 of the press wheel 23,first squeezed out of the cut head end of the fish sothat the protruding part of, the viscera The fish, when being fed 4 enters the gap between the rollers I1 and Hi. In order to enable this the head end of the fish should be positioned as near the rollers l1 and H! as possible. Therefore, prior to the squeezing action the position of the fish is adjusted somewhat by means of the two yielding bars 40 positionedabove the obliquely positionedguide plate a t which bars act upon thefish in the manner as described heretofore to displace the fish longit ldl'nally towards the rollers l1 and 18. This displacement is controlled by the ridges 45 of the plate 44. 'When rollers IT and I8 pull the viscera out of the fish theyielding bar at the press wheel 23 retains the fish, and thereby valuable roe and milt not; adhering to the intestine will remain within the body of the fish.

1 claim:

In a fish dressing machine, a conveyor for feeding the fish laterally, and a plurality of yielding members disposed above and extending longitudinally of said conveyor and having a successive. relative displacement transversely as well as longitudinally ofsaid, conveyor to-successively and yieldingly engage the upper side of a fish passing beneath them and displace the fish longitudinally by jamming'over the tapered rear portion of the body of the fish.

PAUL. DANIELSSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

N TED, STATE PAT NT 

